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PostPosted: Sun Feb 07, 2016 1:27 pm 
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Joined: Tue Jun 19, 2007 6:14 pm
Posts: 3323
Location: South Florida
Chekika wrote:
Because of this thread length, I have made a Table of Contents. This Table is on P. 22, http://www.hobiecat.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=70&t=7276&start=315

A Most Challenging Trip


For drama, tests of strength for both people and boats, grittiness, difficulty—this was the trip. It was our annual trek along coastal everglades from Chokoloskee to Flamingo—all in Everglades National Park. This is a wilderness, and at times, that is exactly what it felt like. My trip plan was designed to emphasize fishing this year: a sailing day, a fishing day, repeat. This Google Earth image shows our planned and actual campsites.

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We were very fortunate to have Sharon Hutkowski, a retired Park Ranger, and Dave & Sarah Trigg come over to Chokoloskee and drive our cars to Flamingo, our exit point. Dave & Sarah are seasonal volunteers down in Flamingo. As usual for 20 years, my son, Scott, and wife, Marilyn, ferried my car over to Flamingo on the weekend. How lucky can I be?

Sarah, Dave, me, and Sharon.

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Dave, Sarah, & Sharon about to enjoy some stone crab claws—a true delicacy, which we are fortunate to have in S FL. They were at the only restaurant in Chokoloskee—Havana Café.

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Our trip out to Pavilion Key was pleasant & uneventful. We had a number of people for whom this little adventure was all new. Martin Cooperman had come down from Cleveland, OH. I don’t believe he was disappointed. On Pavilion Key, Marty ponders.

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Bob Smith and his wife, Sue, from Pennsylvania, only did the trip from Chok to PAV; but, as their first Everglades National Park experience, it was successful. Bob got this moonlight picture.

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Sue made this this shot of myself and Bob. Wow! Did she make us look good?? She ought to get a Golden Globe Award--best picture!

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It was Day 2, and a decision had to be made. Before we started this trip, the weather forecast looked downright ugly on Days 3 & 4. Day 3, south winds of 20-30 mph w/ 100% chance of rain. Day 4, northwest winds of 30-40 mph. We decided to skip our fishing day on PAV and head south. The winds were supposed to be 10-15 mph from the SE.

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Since our thru group was leaving PAV a day early, everyone else left also. Here is Josh Morgan heading out on his paddle board. This Naples fireman is tough!

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Our thru group of 5 boats hoped to make the 20 mi to Highland Beach today. I was not in shape for this difficult day. It was all pedaling for me and a lot of tacking. Dianne and Don Haynes, from Tampa, were on my route. Marty followed. Rick Parks, Orlando, and Tom Lachner, Bonita Springs, took a somewhat different line and seemed to make much better time. They got to HiLand by late afternoon. I did not. To make matters worse for me, I forgot to take any food to eat. I had a couple 17-oz bottles of Gatorade, but that was it. After 6 hrs, I was spent and cramping. At my request, the 4 of us, Don, Dianne, Marty, and I, went into Hog Key.

The night passed quickly. We could not stay longer on Hog—the beach would be underwater as this storm came in from the SW and West. We had to head to Highland Beach.

We were on the water at 9 AM, with 20 mph winds on our nose. Our best hope would be that they would switch more to the SW as the storm came in. It was only 6.7 miles to our camp on HiLand, where Rick & Tom were (we hoped.) With tacking, my GPS indicated I did 12 mi that Day 3. It was a very messy day with heavy winds, bumpy seas, and lots of rain—I was dead tired, but I loved the day’s sail. Fun! It seemed relatively fast. We made it in about 3 hrs. Don got this picture of the weather as he and Dianne moved along the shore, 2 mi from our camp. The rain was coming down in sheets; but, the shoreline angles a bit to the SE so we had a better line. We were doing 5 mph!

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I will write more about the weather and our sailing in another post. It suffices to say here, of the 5 sailing days, 4 were very difficult.

Visibility was only a couple hundred yards when we pulled ashore where Rick & Tom had set up camp. Rain was coming in almost horizontally. Rick & Tom were soaked when they came out and helped haul our boats above the high tide line. That is the beauty and comradery of a tough trip like this. No one took pictures of our arrival. It was simply get the boats up, set up our tents, and take shelter. We would get pictures later.

When we arrived in camp, it was clear that you might avoid most of nature’s onslaught by getting behind a thick barrier of palm trees. That is what Don, Dianne, Marty, and I did. Our area was promptly named “the dormitory” by Rick.


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The winds raged as predicted for Day 4. We took shelter behind Tom’s tent if we were in camp on the edge of the Gulf of Mexico. This is me, Rick, and Tom. A pretty laid back group. Thanks to Don for the picture. No fishing today. The waters were so riled that a fish couldn’t see a lure, if it bumped him in the nose.

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I took a video and made a 1:11 min movie. Be sure to watch it to the very end.




As the moon rose on Day 4, we relaxed. Dianne & Don, Rick, Tom, and Marty.

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Day 5 and we were on the move again. It was a sunny day with strong 16-18 mph wind out of the NW. Marty in the foreground and Tom behind are preparing to depart HiLand.

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We are doing a 19-mile open water crossing to Northwest Cape Sable. We flew before the strong winds, making 6.4 mph over the distance. Check the Google Earth image above. We went from Highland Beach in front of the powerful Everglades rivers, Broad, Harney, Shark, Big Sable, in front of Ponce de Leon Bay, directly to Northwest Cape Sable. What a great ride!

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Rick

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Marty

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You had to pay close attention all day long as boats broached and threatened to broach continuously.

Except for front hatch leaking on a couple boats, our Islands performed superbly. There were times when I thought, "it could get real dicey," if something like a rudder pin, or gudgeon, or aka brace pin broke. None of that happened. I could relax. We had a great day sailing down to NW Cape.

Our camp on the Cape. Marty, Dianne, and Don—happy as clams at high tide.


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We got in so early that Marty had time to fool with his troublesome drive. Marty bought a used 2015 AI 2. He was given an early model drive—it did not fit his 2015 without a struggle. Marty has since told us that the person he bought it from, is sending him a brand new drive.

Here, Tom, Marty, and Don try to figure out a successful way to insert the drive.

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It has been a full Day 5. We are relaxing after dinner.

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Day 6. Sunrise by Tom, and near low tide at NW Cape.

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Tom has his camp set up. You can carry a lot of stuff on an AI 2, but you can carry more on a Tandem, as Tom demonstrates.

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Once again, Marty is messing about his boat. Actually, he is practicing inserting his drive so it might be useful the last day of this trip. Jim Quinlan (Clearwater) is coming in. He had left Flamingo a day before and camped on MidCape as we arrived at NW Cape. The winds, which drove us south so quickly, stubbornly fought him. Jim said it was beautiful solo camping on MidCape.

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Marty taking his “Marty roller” to use getting Jim’s boat up the beach. I’ve mentioned Marty’s roller on an earlier post, http://www.hobiecat.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=70&t=7276&start=840

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Jim’s boat is pretty tricked out.

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Our camp is pretty tricked out too. View to the East.

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View to the West

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Observing this group, you could come away with the belief that we didn’t do any fishing. We didn’t do much. Nevertheless, here is Rick trying. His mentor is hoping for dinner, but he will be sorely disappointed.

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The pelican is thinking, “This guy is never going to catch a fish!”

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The star

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There is going to be a hot fire on NW Cape tonight!

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Day 7. We faced another long day into Flamingo. Again, the winds were not favorable; but, not too onerous. It was a 19.7 mi trip, which ballooned to 24.2 with tacking. We got in about 4 PM and all were happy.

We took a break at East Cape Sable. It was a beautiful day.

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A challenging trip, but that is what this little adventure is all about. Fishing? We caught no fish unless you count the 2 that jumped into our boats during the trip.

Keith

_________________
2015 AI 2, 2014 Tandem

"Any intelligent fool can make things bigger and more complex ... It takes a touch of genius and a lot of courage to move in the opposite direction." A. Einstein

"Less is more" Anon


Last edited by Chekika on Sat Feb 17, 2018 10:48 am, edited 3 times in total.

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PostPosted: Thu Mar 17, 2016 3:47 pm 
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Location: South Florida
Bob Smith’s Excellent Solo Adventure

Bob Smith, a relative newbie to Everglades trekking, did his own solo trip from Chokoloskee to Pavilion Key. The rest of us were up at Ft Desoto at the start of the WaterTribe Everglades Challenge. It was a new experience for Bob, and he was like a kid in the candy shop. On his return, he decided to forego such modern toys as a GPS and rely on dead reckoning to find his way back to Chokoloskee. Consequently, what is normally about a 9.5 mi trip, became a 27 mi day, much against current. He had an Everglades Challenge-type sailing day.


Here is Bob’s trip report.

**********************
So for those searching out the lighter drama, it's "Da Fishin Report" from my solo journey out to Pavilion Key(PAV) the weekend of the EC start.

Management (The Wife) had gone out of town for our daughter's wedding shower, and I decided that the forecast looked ripe for a bit more windy fun and an initial stab at fishing. I got my Florida saltwater license, finished the mods on my hakas, leaned on Keith's kindness to provide pointers to a total newb, and headed out to PAV via the Everglades National Park office after hitting the nearby Bass Pro Shop for the recommended rig.
'da rig..

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I hadn't realized that their rule for PAV was 24 campers OR 4 distinct groups. Turns out that I was Group 4 for that Friday and Saturday when I got to the ENP office about 1 pm on Friday. whew! So I was on my way...

I was excited. I was sitting in the rear seat of our TI fine tuning the Lowrance that I'd installed earlier and could see just how sketchy the bottom of Chokoloskee Bay (CHOK) is. The day was beautiful, and I was riding the current out through the passes and down to Turtle key before turning left for PAV. The wind picked up a bit before getting out to Turtle, however. Time to get up on that windward Haka and see how it all works. The ride out was fantastic! Maybe 1-2 foot chop but with some swells to surf down and I was dreaming of fishing success. (flexible cutting board? check. fillet knives? check. old rod and reel with new rig? check.)
I got to PAV and was greeted by a very helpful kayaker who could see the issue that I was going to have in dragging the TI up past the tide line. (Our residents for the evening consisted of a group of 17 firemen in fishing boats camped down by the toilets, a quiet group down the beach, this fellow and his adult son doing a 3-day paddle expedition and me) I amazed him by waving him off, pulling out "Marty's Amazing Rollers" and pulling the boat up. No drama at all. He (Tom Sr) did warn me of fish kill on the beach, too, warning especially to avoid the dead catfish. We were here two weeks earlier and virtually no dead fish. Now, this everywhere.

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And this…

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DORY! THEY GOT DORY!!! OH NO….

I did manage to poke a catfish spine though my boot as I pushed some dead fish out of the way to set camp. Ouch.. (antibiotic? check) I started to have second thoughts about keeping any fish the next day and still had visions of success dancing in my head as I lay down slack jawed and gazed at the night sky that evening. Our earlier trips to PAV had coincided with near-full moons. Powerfully bright. That night was near a new moon and the stars were fantastic. Big Sky. Lots to see with shooting stars, satellites and planes. Oddly, the wind never died down until well after I got to sleep.
All was dead flat and calm when I awoke the next morning. I was up and out after a leisurely breakfast, peddled over to the nearby fishin’ holes that Keith suggested and started casting. A few nibbles...hey, this is fun. turned the peddles around backward to keep from drifting into the brush as a slight breeze began. More casting, more nibbles, but no strikes (that I recognized). After a couple of hours, this was the result…

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Bob and Gulp, 0 Fish, 3..I was cleaned 3 times. but it was fun!! I'm hooked.
The wind was coming up, anyway, so I decided that an exploration to the ESE was in order. Down to Mormon Key...hey, the wind is picking up. some more. The wind never did die down that night. I was on the beach and felt the wind continue to build throughout the night. I met my new neighbors, James and Craig who had paddled up from the south and reported that the fish kill was even worse there, and it seemed more recent. Another beautiful sunset and evening as I began to think about my return.


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The wind was a refreshing 10 mph or so, seas where now 2- 3 feet and choppy and I was beating right into it as I started back to CHOK Saturday morning. I thought of the EC racers having a nice straight downwind run as I moved back and forth from haka to haka on tacks - I have to say that those hakas are a huge improvement over tramps as far as getting your butt up and out..(note to self, a hand hold on them and a storm line might be in order when riding solo)
15 mph or so with whitecaps and ripples beginning as I reached Turtle convinced me that a smarter move would be to sail past Turtle and tack to pass with it on my Starboard. I crossed SewSew and another boat right then (man, is SewSew a beautiful craft!!) I wonder if that other boat was IslandMutant. The race boat came up behind me and hailed me wonder who I was - I was tempted to pull a "Rosie Ruiz" before I fessed up that I was not racing…(what, the "observers course" isn't sanctioned??)

All was good until I passed Turtle - the new perspective from that side somehow turned me around, and I then passed the wrong way past Lumber Key. (the yellow track is my trip out, the red is the voyage in. It all went pear-shaped at the black circle.)


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I realized that something was wrong when I could see the islands and the inside passage way out to PAV, but I could not fathom how on earth that happened. Yes, I was lost. I pulled into a cove, furled the sail, transferred the gear to the front seat, fired up the Lowrance and could then see just where I was (so much for cocky arrogance on dead reckoning and recognizing landmarks.)

For fun, I thought that I might be able to sneak into the top of Rabbit Key pass the back way and still catch the slack water period. That area, where the yellow circle is, doesn't go through!
Oops.
Time to turn around. and back track. and then up the pass. against the tide. All in all, I traveled 27.5 miles. 6.5 hours. My legs cramped. Lots of water and trail mix. I was fortunate in getting some wind in Rabbit Key pass, sticking to the edge and peddling hard and finally getting back to CHOK.
So, no fish. I got lost (for a short period). and it was a blast.

Bob Smith
******************

In the end, Bob saw parts of the Everglades that I never have ventured into; and, he made it out alive. Good man. I love that try into the dead end (see yellow circle.)

Keith

_________________
2015 AI 2, 2014 Tandem

"Any intelligent fool can make things bigger and more complex ... It takes a touch of genius and a lot of courage to move in the opposite direction." A. Einstein

"Less is more" Anon


Last edited by Chekika on Sat Feb 17, 2018 1:38 pm, edited 3 times in total.

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PostPosted: Thu Mar 17, 2016 6:23 pm 
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Chekika wrote:
So, no fish. I got lost (for a short period). and it was a blast.

But you got a heck of a workout fighting that tide !!! That's one way to get in shape. Good Story Bob


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PostPosted: Thu Mar 17, 2016 7:55 pm 
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Thanks, Jim. I bought the boat in order to get a workout. Those days and outings of mostly sailing have now been balanced.

I'm convinced that the TI is the best purchase that I've made. It really does do it all.


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PostPosted: Mon Mar 28, 2016 10:50 am 
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Survival in the Everglades

The following is a story of survival in the Everglades. Jim Czarnowski, Chief Hobie Engineer, was doing the WaterTribe Everglades Challenge. He was doing the “inside” route, the Wilderness Waterway. This is much more difficult than simply sailing along the coast of the Everglades. While I have done much of this route in a sea kayak, I’ve never considered doing it in an AI. “NUTS” is the most generous way I might describe it.

Part of doing the inside route is doing a section known as “Nightmare.” Doing Nightmare is not that bad, as long as you do not make a wrong turn, which is exactly what Jim did. Here is a Google image of Nightmare with my annotations.

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Before letting Jim tell his story, let me tell you how Nightmare must be navigated. (1) You must have a marine chart clearly showing the path of Nightmare. (2) Since your GPS will not be able to receive satellite signals due to the over-growth, you need to rely on a compass. Best to have 2 compasses in case you drop one in the water, or, better yet, have a compass mounted on your Island where you can see it at all times. (3) As you move through Nightmare, carefully note your compass heading and your progress along Nightmare. Looking at the image above, note the large loop where Jim made his mistake. At the start of this loop, your compass will indicate a heading of ENE. As you move along the loop, your compass heading will change quickly from ENE to E to ESE to SE to S (not E, the route Jim chose), SW to W to NW and back to S. In that way, noting your compass heading and where you are in Nightmare will keep you from making a catastrophic mistake.

Jim had just gotten 4.5 hrs sleep. But after 3-4 nights of getting 4.5 hrs sleep, Jim was sleep deprived. Where Jim made his sleep-deprived mistake is shown more clearly in this next image. If Jim had noted his heading, he would have seen that he was headed E, when the correct compass heading should have been S and then SW in fairly short order. Instead, Jim headed E and more E. He was quickly in trouble, but being an experienced WaterTriber, and having done Nightmare 2 times, he pushed on through mangrove maze—in the wrong direction.

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Here is Jim’s story in his own words. It is an excellent read, and the best part is the advice Jim gives to people in similar life-threatening situations.

=========================
I was making excellent time, arriving at the entrance to the Nightmare just before sunset on day 4, Tuesday evening. The tide was low so I anchored my boat just across from the entrance and setup my REI freestanding 2-man tent over my haka and trampoline (trying this for the first time). I enjoyed a hearty tuna helper dinner, prepared my lunch and snack provisions for the following day, reviewed my charts and then set my alarm for 12:30 A.M, about 4 1/2 hours after my 8 pm bedtime. I awoke and after 30 minutes to eat my oatmeal breakfast, break camp and fold-up boat to minimum width, I entering the Nightmare just after 1 a.m. I had also prepared a piping hot mug of Starbucks super robust coffee, using two packs for the extra early wake up. My closest tide station was Shark River, peaking at a very high 4.4' at 12:30. The Nightmare was wide open, and I was flying along at 3-4 mph, floating well above the normal logs that would obstruct the mirage drive. After about an hour, the trail started to narrow as I was actually having clearance issues above the kayak causing me to duck very low and push branches away as I passed along. I checked my GPS, an older version Lowrance H2O with Nauticpath marine chart card installed, and, as I had experienced in the past with this unit, I was getting no satellite reception due to the nearly complete swamp canopy coverage. In my previous two solo Nightmare transitions in V1 AI's, the tide was never this high, so I assumed the problems I was having were due to floating higher on the extra high tide and the larger 2015 AI I was using. Progress became even more difficult, but I continued to press on, fueled partly by my caffeine buzz and a determination to get through. I pushed the boat through some very tight spots and even cut some roots and branches with my Leatherman saw to make room. I was leaving the boat, standing on logs and roots to be able to pull the boat by obstructions without my added weight on board.

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At one point I slipped off a log and went in water over my head. This was actually quite refreshing because I was very hot and sweaty from all the exertion. But, it also served as a sobering wakeup call that the trail shouldn't be this bad, and I must have made a wrong turn. I decided to back out. Just as it was extremely difficult to move the boat forward, it was even harder to move it backwards. I made some progress and even found a spot to turn the boat 180 degrees around, which wasn't easy. The path forward (heading back now) was still very difficult, and it wasn't obvious which was the correct path as it was very dark. I was essentially moving through a flooded forest with many possible ways to go. Before long, I reached another dead end, impossible to pass - I must be going the wrong way back I thought! So I backed up as far as possible again and tried another path with no success. This process was repeated 3 or 4 times leaving me completely exhausted, frustrated and scared. By this this time the tide was rapidly dropping as I could hear the sound of rushing water while the forest drained. I collapsed into the kayak seat, soaking wet, covered in swamp mud and slime, exhausted, and trying not to panic as the swarming mosquitoes relentlessly attacked any exposed skin which had been rinsed clean of the protective DEET by the swamp swim and all the sweating. I reluctantly accepted the fact that I wasn't going anywhere any time soon. I would need to think clearly and have a good plan to have a chance to escape my predicament. First step was to get shelter from the torturous mosquitos as the next high tide wouldn't be until 2 pm, nearly 10 hours away. I was able to drag the AI to a spot where one ama could be swung out and I set up the haka and tent solution.

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Once inside I realized I was now shivering due to cold evening air and being soaked. I quickly stripped out of my wet, muddy clothes and into warm/dry reserve gear, ate the peanut butter and jelly tortilla wrap I had made for lunch, as I warmed up inside my down sleeping bag. I soon stopped shivering. As I lay there, I had to consciously fight away negative thoughts... What if I couldn't get out at the 2 pm high tide which was only 4.0', 4.8" lower than the 4.4' 12:30 a.m. high? What if I couldn't find the right path out in my limited time? Since my GPS couldn't get sat signal, maybe my Spot and EPIRB wouldn't either?? Were any of my spot OK's getting out - I was pressing it every 30 minutes. How long would my food and water last? I told my 8-month pregnant wife Ocean Diva that I would call here from CP3 this night and this wasn't going to happen. How would she handle this stress? Would it endanger the pregnancy?? It was a challenge to hold it together. I even heard what I thought were distant kayaker voices so I screamed, "help! help! I am stuck and lost!" at the top of my lungs many times but no response... It must have been some bird calls or my imagination. I knew it wouldn't help to worry about things out of my control--like satellite reception and focus on things I could control. I decided finding the way out was a top priority, and I didn't want to wait until high tide to do this as I didn't have time or energy to move the boat down any more wrong paths. My plan was to venture out on foot (and arms - like a swamp monkey) to become familiar with surrounding flooded forest area and scout for a way out. With no electronic navigation, I turned to my trusted old compass and a roll of toilette paper to ensure that I could find my way back to the boat and mark an exit path using the TP to flag the route. I chose TP for flagging because it was easy to work with, no rain was forecast, and I didn't have to sacrifice any clothing. I wore scuba booties with Helly Hansen rain pants tucked inside, a fleece sweatshirt and my PFD with Spot, EPIRB, compass, knife, whistle, and roll of TP. My plan was to scout for 2 hours at low tide - the easiest "hiking" condition. I didn't have a backpack and needed to keep both hands free for climbing so I hydrated before leaving and left the water bottle behind. A few flags and about 100 yards away from the boat, I happened to glance back and see a raccoon heading straight towards my food, remains water bladder and gear. I screamed and scurried back to the boat. Fortunately, nothing was missing and I put food, water and other gear deemed essential securely inside the boat. I thought, "Wow, that could have been really bad - dodged a bullet!" Back on the scouting mission, I followed the most obvious path and after 20-30 minutes I began to find reassuring clues such as freshly broken mangrove limbs and logs with their mud scraped. I continued on but the progress was painfully slow as I hung from branches, walked/balanced a crossed slimy logs and roots, sunk over my knees in mud and waded chest deep through "ponds" as I moved forward. Eventually I found one of the freshly Leatherman-cut mangrove roots. I only cut roots on my initial way in, so this must be the way out!! Satisfied that I had discovered the escape route, I spent an hour returning to the boat, covering an estimated 1/4 mile based on the number of TP flags and spacing. Side note, at 4 hours/mile, it is nearly impossible to cover any significant distance through the swamp on foot - don't ever lose your boat! Back at the boat, I spent the next few hours trying to rest and relax which was about as impossible as hiking the swamp. I ended up playing my favorite Ziggy Marley album on the iPhone speaker and keeping busy with useful tasks such as tuning the Mirage Drive and bending masts back, cleaning and organizing my gear. I kept track of the water level by watching a couple close-by stumps and a baby mangrove slowly submerge. Eventually the water reached the pre-determined "go-level" I had set, and I headed out with total determination. After about an hour of very hard progress, the trail opened and I was moving again. I soon reached the fork in the Nightmare, took the appropriate left turn and I continued on through the Nightmare and Broad Creek, eventually reaching the Harney River Chickee just after dark. I was so relieved and happy to have made it through. Some reflections and lessons learned: The Ocean and the Everglades are wilderness and the wilderness doesn't care if you live or die, your safety is entirely up to you. Mistakes as simple as a wrong turn can put you into danger and you need to be able to rely on yourself to make it through. Don't become over-dependent on electronics - some simple time/speed dead-reckoning would have kept me from going so deep and getting stuck. When traveling alone, consider waiting for the high-tide during daylight for difficult sections. When the (censored) hits the fan, keep an optimistic attitude and focus on what you can control and not what you can't. Play your favorite music and eat your favorite snacks. Well, that is it. Very glad I made it safely; and, better yet, that I didn't have to create a drama by involving search and rescue. -Penguinman

Video by a very happy survivor
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lOViGVntGfY
=========================


Yes, well done, Jim.

_________________
2015 AI 2, 2014 Tandem

"Any intelligent fool can make things bigger and more complex ... It takes a touch of genius and a lot of courage to move in the opposite direction." A. Einstein

"Less is more" Anon


Last edited by Chekika on Sat Feb 17, 2018 1:57 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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PostPosted: Tue Mar 29, 2016 3:27 am 
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Thanks heaps Keith, for fleshing out Jim's adventure. I have watched his video several times, and it was clear that sleep deprivation was a major factor, and also that Jim got out of his "hole" by clear thinking.

_________________
Tony Stott
2012 Tandem Island "SIC EM" with Hobie spinnaker


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PostPosted: Sun May 29, 2016 6:52 am 
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Hakas and Haka Table, v3, the 3rd Generation

I’ve made 3 sets of hakas to date. The first pair I sold because I wanted to make a lighter pair. The construction of the first pair is discussed here http://www.hobiecat.com/forums/viewtopi ... 42#p200342 The second pair was made from 3 boards with an aluminum frame. That pair did not fit my new AI 2 or Tandem Island. It was sold when I sold my 2 AIs. I now have a 2015 AI 2 and a 2014 Tandem Island. Fortunately, the spread between aka bars is the same on those 2 boats, so my newest v3 hakas fit both.

The design of my v3 hakas is the simplest yet. Of course, one haka serves as a table. That has been a design feature from the beginning. Here is the finished result.

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For each haka, I used two 6’ 1”x6” white pine boards spaced 1.5” apart. Corners were rounded and each board was sanded carefully. At the ends of each haka, I glued a 2x2 cross brace. In between those, I evenly spaced three 1”x2” pine cross braces and glued them. Titebond III waterproof glue was used for all gluing.

The underside of the haka table is shown here.

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A 4’ aluminum angle (.5”x.5”, 1/8” thick aluminum) was bolted lengthwise on the cross braces for strength. The 3/8” white bungee cord with clip is used to attach the haka to the aka. It is clipped to a padeye on the bottom of the haka out of the way when not in use on the boat.

For added structural insurance on each haka, four ¼”x20 bolts with lock nuts were placed at the ends as shown in this top view.

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These bolts served the dual purpose on the haka table of securing the receiver cups for the legs. These receiver cups are simply PVC plumbing couplers with a solid, flat end piece. Find a knowledgeable Home Depot person to help you locate these items. The legs and receivers are shown here. Note that the receiver cups are split vertically with a jig saw. The legs are much easier to insert and remove if the couplers are split in this way.

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After the hakas were glued and before adding any hardware, I gave the boards and their cross braces 3 coats of McClosky Marine Spar Varnish. Details on sanding and varnishing can be found in my original write up (see the link above.)

While some may question whether the glue is sufficient to hold these boards together, you should not worry about it. The Titebond III waterproof glue is literally tough as nails. An example of just how tough it is occurred on a recent trip. A good friend of mine accidentally fell squarely on my haka table. The result: (1) he was not injured, and (2) the only damage to the table was 2 broken leg receiver couplers at one end (see below). My friend weighs 250#. The couplers were easily replaced.

Image


I like this 3rd iteration of my haka and haka table. Simple, strong.

Keith

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2015 AI 2, 2014 Tandem

"Any intelligent fool can make things bigger and more complex ... It takes a touch of genius and a lot of courage to move in the opposite direction." A. Einstein

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Last edited by Chekika on Fri Feb 23, 2018 6:42 pm, edited 2 times in total.

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PostPosted: Tue May 31, 2016 6:41 pm 
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Seen at the 2016 WaterTribe Everglades Challenge

Mr. Mako’s Specialized Hakas


At the 2016 Everglades Challenge, there were a couple unusual Hobie Islands. Mr. Mako (aka Dana Vihlen of Islamorada, FL) had one of them. His hakas were super creative. They were designed for a task, and it wasn’t to serve as a bench. His first “haka” was designed mainly to stow Hobie Mirage drives:

Image


Personally, I stow my paddle on my haka, but Mr. Mako appears to have reasoned, why build haka space for stowing a paddle, especially when Hobie has already provided a paddle cozy. Hard to argue with that. Mr. Mako’s haka is minimal to keep the weight down. Excellent! It also has enough space to accommodate a dry bag or 2. That brings us to Mr. Mako’s design of a second haka, if it can be called that. His second haka actually makes the front cockpit of his Tandem Island into a 2-level storage area. Fully loaded this is what it looks like:

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When the bags are removed, the lower level is accessible.

Image


This level has a hinged cover which provides access to the cockpit area and the cockpit hatch opening.

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Very impressive haka designs. Hakas for specific purposes.

Keith

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2015 AI 2, 2014 Tandem

"Any intelligent fool can make things bigger and more complex ... It takes a touch of genius and a lot of courage to move in the opposite direction." A. Einstein

"Less is more" Anon


Last edited by Chekika on Sat Feb 24, 2018 8:06 pm, edited 2 times in total.

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PostPosted: Thu Jun 02, 2016 1:31 am 
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Very interesting and great to see others haka ideas Keith. Thanks for posting.
I like the raised deck idea. Those tiny Mr Mako haka beg the question ...are they really Haka or just a shelf?
I always thought haka was Hawaiian for seat? Could they be sat on?
Nohuhu, a ruling please! :wink:
:lol:


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PostPosted: Thu Jun 02, 2016 3:13 am 
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Funnily enough stringy, my haka is built to the other extreme (those who have seen me can understand why!).

In fact, my haka (I only built one, as my spinnaker is on the other side) is so substantial (4 off 4x1s, 4 off 2x1 crossmembers, 3 off 2x1 stringers) that I have decided to hang a motor mount off the haka in the gap between the haka and the TI.

I plan to get a 24# thrust Watersnake and a 105Ah AGM battery. I have a very small solar panel (40w) which will also live on the haka (the battery will go down the back in the cargo area).

Photos will be taken!

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Tony Stott
2012 Tandem Island "SIC EM" with Hobie spinnaker


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PostPosted: Mon Jun 13, 2016 1:18 pm 
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Mr. Mako’s Bow Storage

Mr. Mako’s specialized hakas (see above) were for a purpose: to store gear which might normally go in the front hatch. His bow storage was used for other purposes, which I will show here.

Note first, that he has reinforced his bow hatch cover and insured that it is fastened down tightly. He also has a navigation light attached for nighttime travel.

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Here you can see that Mr. Mako had other plans for his bow storage. It contains both his cart

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and his extra Mirage Drive

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His cart, too, was modified to fit by cutting one post and making a wood coupler.

Image


Mr. Mako’s boat is extremely creative.

Keith

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2015 AI 2, 2014 Tandem

"Any intelligent fool can make things bigger and more complex ... It takes a touch of genius and a lot of courage to move in the opposite direction." A. Einstein

"Less is more" Anon


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PostPosted: Fri Sep 09, 2016 9:38 am 
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hi keith and thanks for you comprehensive analysis of the shear pin/folding ama issue. i presented it to my son who was determined to replace the plastic pin with stainless. he would not believe his dad that it was s designed failure point and protected the boat. he did believe you. something about a prophet in his hometown. my question is: we always sail with the tramps deployed. will these be sufficient to keep the akas from folding or do you think we should still rig a keep-out line. i tend to think they will suffice, but it is my son who needs something definitive and he seems to value your opinion.

fair wind and a following sea, mick


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PostPosted: Fri Sep 09, 2016 10:11 am 
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mjfxd wrote:
my question is: we always sail with the tramps deployed. will these be sufficient to keep the akas from folding or do you think we should still rig a keep-out line.
Kieth may differ, but my experience with my little home-made tramp is that it was sufficient to keep the ama far enough outboard after a shear bolt failed in heavy air..... Real-Life failure, not a test.

But I still have a modified version of Kieth's Keep-Out line on the tramp side - partially because the modified Keep-Out lines double as capsize-recovery lines, and partially to maintain the option of not rigging the tramp.

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2017 Trailex 450 Trailer
Pre-September 2015 cradles
(anybody want to buy a slightly-used AI SpinKit?)
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PostPosted: Fri Sep 09, 2016 10:40 pm 
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mjfxd wrote:
hi keith and thanks for you comprehensive analysis of the shear pin/folding ama issue. i presented it to my son who was determined to replace the plastic pin with stainless. he would not believe his dad that it was s designed failure point and protected the boat. he did believe you. something about a prophet in his hometown. my question is: we always sail with the tramps deployed. will these be sufficient to keep the akas from folding or do you think we should still rig a keep-out line. i tend to think they will suffice, but it is my son who needs something definitive and he seems to value your opinion.

fair wind and a following sea, mick

Well, thanks, Mick, for your generous comments regarding your son's faith in my opinions. I don't use tramps, but it is my understanding that, in the case of a aka-brace pin break, they will prevent the aka/ama from folding in with insta-capsize. I would strongly advise your son against replacing the sacrificial nylon pin with a steel pin, but that has been done by some AI/TI sailors. For example, here is a quote from Josh Holmes, a very experienced Australian, AI/TI sailor:
Yakass wrote:
This is why I replace the nylon bolt [shear pin] with a stainless clevis pin. I am well aware of the risk of potentially more serious damage to the boat, but I'm also pretty confident that I'm not about to sail into anything, or take on surf I can't conquer. I've had one fail in the past, but luckily it was the windward ama, not the far scarier leeward side. For me the risk of insta-capsize due to a failing shear bolt is greater than the risk of collision or catastrophic landing. Mind you, this is advice I am very hesitant to give out, and I don't raise it with customers unless asked about it (with added caveats). I do, however, recommend to all Island owners to check those [nylon] bolts regularly (not that it would have helped in this instance) and point out that they are provided 4 spares for a reason.

For lesser sailors than Josh Holmes, replacing the designed fail point (aka-brace nylon shear pins) with steel pins could be dangerous to their Islands and their health. At the same time, because of experiences such as mine and PeteCress, it is clear that the standard Hobie nylon pin is not suitable for all the Islands, AI, AI 2, and Tandem. Until Hobie chooses to remedy the problem, I've resorted to using Nylatron pins on my 2 boats. Nylatron pins are stronger & more wear resistant than the Hobie pins. The Nylatron pins were suggested by my good friend Tom Lachner, who is a plastics expert.

Keith

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2015 AI 2, 2014 Tandem

"Any intelligent fool can make things bigger and more complex ... It takes a touch of genius and a lot of courage to move in the opposite direction." A. Einstein

"Less is more" Anon


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PostPosted: Sat Sep 10, 2016 12:25 am 
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mjfxd wrote:
my question is: we always sail with the tramps deployed. will these be sufficient to keep the akas from folding or do you think we should still rig a keep-out line. i tend to think they will suffice, but it is my son who needs something definitive and he seems to value your opinion.


Chekika wrote:
I don't use tramps, but it is my understanding that, in the case of a aka-brace pin break, they will prevent the aka/ama from folding in with insta-capsize.
Keith


Mick,
Keith is correct and if your son needs something more definitive then he should read Hobie's Guru Roadrunner's original trampoline test found here on Page 3 viewtopic.php?f=69&t=12342. The pics are gone but the test details remain. Basically he rammed a buoy with the tramps on but with the aka brace disconnected. The tramps alone held everything out and in place.
Just one proviso - FE Bob has reported a hard enough collision may break the tramp buckles so keep out lines may be a sensible back up. I've never broken a brace pin with the tramps fitted, but have broken 3 sailing without tramps. I'm guessing the fitted tramps must take some pressure off the pin?


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